THIS WEEK @NASA: Targeting October for Next U.S. Astronaut Launch, Celebrating 15 Years of Mars Recon Orbiter

By  //  August 22, 2020

Latest Happenings around NASA

ABOVE VIDEO: Targeting the next U.S. launch of astronauts, another successful space station resupply mission, and honoring pilots for National Aviation Day … a few of the stories to tell you about – This Week at NASA!

NASA, SpaceX Targeting October for Next Astronaut Launch

NASA’s SpaceX Crew-1 mission to the International Space Station is targeted for launch no earlier than Oct. 23. NASA certification of SpaceX’s crew transportation system will allow for regular crewed flights to the station, ending our sole reliance on Russia for access.

Departure of Japanese Cargo Ship from Space Station

On Aug. 18, the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency’s HTV-9 cargo spacecraft left the International Space Station after a three-month stay. HTV-9 delivered about four tons of supplies and experiments, including new lithium-ion batteries used to upgrade power systems.

Honoring Pilots on National Aviation Day

We celebrated National Aviation Day on Aug. 19 with special recognition of the skills, abilities and crucial role of pilots and aviators. The annual observance falls on the birthday of the world’s very first pilot of an airplane – Orville Wright. Find out more about our groundbreaking aeronautics research at nasa.gov/flight.

Engine Delivered for Supersonic X-Plane

The one-of-a-kind engine for NASA’s X-59 Quiet Supersonic Technology airplane was delivered to our Armstrong Flight Research Center in California, where it will be checked out then sent to nearby Palmdale, California where the plane is being built. The engine will power the X-59 on missions to gather public reaction to the quieter sonic booms the aircraft is designed to produce.

NASA Installing Orion Adapter for First Artemis Moon Flight

Technicians at our Kennedy Space Center in Florida have been busy installing the spacecraft adapter cone that will connect the Orion spacecraft to the Space Launch System rocket for the Artemis I mission around the Moon. This is one of the final major hardware operations for Orion prior to integration with the rocket.

Celebrating 15 Years of Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter

We’re celebrating 15 years of our Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter, which has helped reshape our understanding of the Red Planet and provided a slew of stunning images along the way. As of early August, just one of the spacecraft’s three cameras alone had taken more than 6.8 million images and generated 194 terabytes of data sent from Mars since 2006.

That’s what’s up this week @NASA

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